Dry seal pressure type gas holder



Dec. 25, 1951 J. w. ALLEN DRY SEAL, PRESSURE TYPE GAS HOLDER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 9, 1948 FIG.|.

.J: V: Rm 5 0 N T 5A ..1 VW. T N A N w J Y B Dec. 25, 1951 Filed July 9, I 1948 FIG.4.

J. w. ALLEN DRY SEAL, PRESSURE TYPE GAS HOLDER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR; JOHN W. ALLEN,

ATTORNEY Dec. 25, 1951 J. w. ALLEN 2,579,776

DRY SEAL, PRESSURE TYPE GAS HOLDER Filed July 9, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 8.

r I H o 2 H x6 F F 1 2 I F E El2 E 8 y 1 I I I r INVENTOR;

JOHN W. ALLEN,

ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 25, 1951 hi W; e q zallh assi nb J ohnH; Wiggins, Chicago; Ill.

Application J uly "9, 194% Serial No.'-37,796 3 0mm; (c1.*4s 78)i 'I'hisdnyehtion"reIatestma am seal, piston type gasholder or; fluid storage apparatus: of the par-tiGular kind I disclosed in,- my. Patent No. 2,355 i-,767', dated r Mayi 29,; 195 1, in which-the sealing ,means between the piston and the container side-wall comprises at pluralityof flexible elements, usually constructed of gastight fabric arranged at-cpposi-te-sidesof and attached -to a vertically-movable, annular member that serves as a' backingeand reinforcing device for the flexiblee piston sealing means-during the cycle of operations-of the piston-.- During the first poi" tionof-the=upwardtravel of the piston, the said vertically-movable backing annular 1 member remains at rest on the bottom of the container. due to ;the-weight of said member, and :as'the pistonmoves upwardly, the innerfiexib1e piston sealing element E(the one between thefpiston and the innerdaceorside of said vertioallwmove able backing xmember) is progressively stripped off an annular backing member carried by the piston and isprogressively applied to the 1 previously mentioned vertically movable backing member. Aiterthe inner flexibl'e sealing el'e' ment has been: applied to said vertically-movable backingr'memben; said member starts to move upwardly with l the piston; due to theengagement of; the piston -with a part on said member, and during the ,remainderpf the upward travel of the pistom and while the piston is at the end of its upward stroke, said verticallyemovable back,- ing member-remains in fixed relationship with the piston: and servesvas abackstop and'reinforcing device for the inner flexible sealing "ele-' ment. It' will thus be seenfthat in an apparatus of the kindabove describedfit'is necessary that the height or-cdepth lot the vertically movable backing member above the point of attachment of theinner sealing element must be equal to -or in excess of the leng'th ofthe inner sealing element; due to-the fact that it serves as a backstop: for the saiddnner sealingelement; during the -;upward stroke 0f-the-piston and when the pistonaisyat =the--end= ot -its--upward--stro1 e.- Also in such; arr ,apparatus,=means -must-be provided for causing the pistonto-pickupand impart/ up ward movement tothe vertically-movable backing =member after the inner "flexible sealing element has been applied to said-member.

One object of my invention is-to-provide a gas holder ofthe general ki-nd -above reierrede-to, which is of" such; construction or design:- that the vertically-movable, annular backing member can meeting: a substantial saving'in the quantitypi steel used ,in the construction of said member.

Another-j objectfis to provide a as, holder of megen'emi kind referred to,',which is of such construction or design that the weight or load of th'evertically movable backing member is not imposed on the piston" during the upward travel of the piston, thereby approaching a constant pressure on the gas stored in the holder during the full volume change (from empty to full) and also reducing the cost and simplifying the construction of theapparatus by eliminating the pick-up and supporting 'means between the piston and the vertically-movable backing member.

And still another object of myinventicn is to provide a gas holder of the general kind above referred to in'which ,both orall fabric elements of thepiston sealing means are backed up and reinforcedby thercontainer side wall when the storage chamber offthe holder is full of gases. Other objects and desirable features of my inventionlwill be hereinafter pointed out.

Figure '1 of the drawings is ave'rtical trans versesectional View of a dry seaLVpiston-type gas g5 holder embodyingmy present invention, showing the piston in its lowermost position.

Figure 271s afra'gmentary sectional view, showing how'the vertically-movable, annular backing member rises or moves upwardly during the first ,part of the upward travel of the piston;

Figure 3 is a similar view, showing how the innerflexible sealing element is' applied to the container 'side wall after the upward movement oi 'said vertically-movable backing member has been arrested ustratin how af counterweighted mechanism can be combined with the vertically-movable, annular backing member in instances wherethe pressure [uplift on the flexible piston sealing meansis'not sufiicient to raise or move said backing "member upwardly: and

Figure 8 is a vertical transverse "sectional view of a gasholderconstructed in acoordancefwith my present invention-and. equipped with a piston sealing means. that comprises'fthree fabric "sealingeelements which cd-act with, two verticallymovable, annular backing and reinforcing memhere.

In the accompanying drawings A designates the bottom of the container of a dry-seal, piston-type gas holder or fluid storage apparatus, C desighates the side wall of said container, D designates the roof or top of the container, and B designates the vertically-movable piston in said container which forms the top wall of the gas storage chamber. The space between the piston and the container side wall is sealed by two flexible curtain-like sealing elements F and F usually constructed of gas-tight fabric, arranged on opposite sides of and attached to a vertically-movable, annular member E that forms part of a backing and reinforcing structure for the flexible piston sealing means, and which preferably also comprises an annular backstop member E on the piston, disposed in concentric relation with said backing member E. As shown in. the drawings, the outer sealing element F has its outer edge attached to an intermediate portion of the eontainer side wall, and has its inner edge attached to the lower end of the Vertically-movable backing member E element F is attached at its outer edge to the upper end 'of the vertically-movable backing member E, and is attached at its inner edge to the lower end or bottom edge of the annular backing member E carried by and projecting upwardly from the periphery of the piston. The vertically-movable backing member is constructed of steel, aluminum or some other rigid or inflexible material, and is preferably made of such weight that the pressure uplift on the outer sealing element F is suflicient to cause the annular backing member E to rise or move upwardly with the piston during the first portion of the upward stroke of the piston.

When the piston B is at the end of its down- The inner flexible sealing movable backing member E, and also presses the inner sealing element F snugly against the backing member E carried by the piston, as shown in Figure 1. When the piston starts to move upwardly, the backing member E rises with the piston, thereby causing the outer sealing element to be stripped off the backing member E and progressively applied to the container side wall C, as shown in Figure 2. After the backing member E has reached such a height or elevation that the sealing element F is effectively backed The piston, however, continues its th upward movement of the piston together with the internal pressure of the storage chamber causing the sealing element F to be' rolled outwardly over the top edge of the vertically-movable backing member E and forced into snug engagement with the container side wall, as

shown in Figure 3, at a point above the outer sealing element F. The inner sealing element F is made with some fullness, and in the form of my invention illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3-" is so designed that when it is rolled outwardly over the top edge of the backing member E,

after said backing member has come to rest, the fabric of which said sealing element F is constructed will stretch sufficiently to permit the major portion of said sealing element to lie flat against the container side wall. During the downward stroke of the piston, the inner sealing element F is stripped off the container side wall and progressively applied to the backingmember E carried by the piston,-and thereafter the outer sealing element F is stripped oif the container side wall and progressively applied to the backing member E. From the foregoing it will be seen that in a gas holder of the construction above described the container side wall is used as an abutment surface for both fabric elements of the piston sealing means when the storage chamber is full, thereby enabling the depth or height of the vertically-movable backing member E to be greatly reduced, and consequently, effecting a considerable saving in the cuantity of metal or. other rigid material used in the construction of said backing member. Such a gas holder is also desirable, in that t e particular construction and arrangement of the two fabric sealing elements F, F and the vertically i'novable backing member E, eliminates the nece sity of lifting said backing member by the piston, during the full volume change from empty to full.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 illustrate another form of my invention, wherein the'container side wall is provided at its upper end w th an inwardly offset portion disposed in such relationship with the inner flexible sealing element F and with the vertically-movable backing member E, that the sealing element F is not stretched or rolled outwardly over the top edge of the backing member E in the operation of applying said sealing element to the container side wall during the upward stroke of the piston. In the gas tholder shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, the container side wall comprises a cylindrical lower portion C', a cylindrical upper portion C of less diameter than said lower portion, and an inward off-set X that joins said lower and upper portions C and C together. During the upward travel of the piston the vertically-movable backing member E comes into contact with and is arrested by the off-set'X in the container side wall, and thereafter, as the piston continues its upward movement, the inner sealing element F is progressively applied to the inner face of the reduced upper portion C of the side wall, as shown in Figures 5 and6.

In a gas holder embodying my invention, any suitable means can be used to keep the piston level during its upward movement, such, for example, as a series of weights K connected to diametrically opposite sides of thepiston by means of cables H and 1-1 that travel over sheaves J, J and J mounted on the roof D of the container,

as shown in Figure 4, Although the vertically movable, annular backingmember E is full floating, said member is automatically kept level by tus similar to that shown in Figure 4, but equipped with a piston sealing means that comprises three concentrically-arranged, flexible sealing elements F, F and F combined with a backing and reinforcing structure that comprises an annular backing member E on the piston, and a plurality of concentric, vertically-movable, annular backing members E and E In such an apparatus the container side wall is preferably composed of three cylindrical shells C, C and C of different diameters, connected to each other by two offsets X and X. W

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a fluid storage apparatus, the combination of a container having a vertical side wall that comprises a lower cylindrical portion, a cylindrical upper portion offset inwardly from said lower portion and rigidly connected to same by a substantially horizontally-disposed part that serves as a stop, a vertically-movable piston in said container spaced away from the container side wall and provided with a rigid cylindrical backing member attached to the piston and projecting upwardly from the top side of same, a verticallyshiftable backing member of tubular form arranged in concentric relation with. the backing member on the piston and disposed at a point below and in vertical alignment with the previously mentioned horizontally disposed stop part of the container side wall, an outer fabric sealing element of approximately annular iorm having one of its edges attached to the lower cylindrical portion of the container side wall and its other edge attached to the lower end of said verticallyshiftable backing member, and an inner fabric sealing element of approximately annular form having one of its edges attached to the upper end of said vertically-shiftable hacking member and its other edge attached to the piston adjacent the lower end of the rigid backing member that projects upwardly from the top side of the piston, the said outer sealing element being adapted to be forced into snug engagement with the lower portion of the side wall and the inner sealing element adapted to be forced into engagement with the inwardly-oilsct upper portion of the container side wall by the internal pressure of the storage chamber, during the upward movement of the piston.

2. A fluid storage apparatus, comprising a container having a side wall, a vertically-movable piston in said container that forms the top wall of the storage chamber of the apparatus, an annular backing member rigidly attached to the piston and projecting upwardly from the top side of same, a second annular backing member arranged in the space between the piston and the container side wall and adapted to move vertically relatively to the piston and to the side wall, a flexible outer sealing element attached to the container side wall and to the lower end of said vertically-movable backing member, and a flexible inner sealing element attached to the upper end of said vertically-movable backing member and to the piston adjacent the lower end of the backing member on the piston, said backing members and sealing elements being combined in such relationship that when the piston is at the end of its downward stroke the pressure in the storage chamber forces the outer sealing element into snug engagement with the vertically-movable backing member and also forces the inner sealing element into snug engagement with the backing member on the piston, and during the upward travel of the piston. said annular backing members will move relatively to each other into such positions as to cause the outer sealing element to be applied to the container side wall and thereafter cause the inner sealing element to be applied to the container side wall at a point considerably higher than the horizontal zone in which said outer sealing element lies against the container side wall, the container side wall being provided with two cylindrical portions of different diameters, the larger one of which is adapted to serve as a back stop for the outer sealing element and the smaller one of which is adapted to serve as a back stop for the inner sealing element when the storage chamber is full of gas.

A fluid storage apparatus, comprising a container having a side wall, a vertically-movable piston in said container that forms the top wall of the storage chamber of the apparatus, an annular backing member rigidly attached to the piston and projecting upwardly from the top side of same, a second annular backing member arranged in the space between the piston and the container side wall and adapted to move vertically relatively to the piston and to the side wall, a flexible outer sealing element attached to the container side wall and to the lower end of said vertically-movable backing member, and a flexible inner sealing element attached to the upper end of said vertically-movable backing member and to the piston adjacent the lower end of the backing member on the piston, said backing members and sealing elements being combined in such relationship that when the piston is at the end of its downward stroke the pressure in the storage chamber forces the outer sealing element into snug engagement with the vertically-movable backing member and also forces the inner sealing element into snug engagement with the backing member on the piston, and during the upward travel of the piston, said annular backing membars will move relatively to each other into such positions as to cause the outer sealing element to be applied to the container side wall and thereafter cause the inner sealing element to be applied to the container side wall at a point considerably higher than the horizontal zone in which said outer sealing element lies against the container side wall, the container side wall comprising two cylindrical portions of different diameters joined by a portion disposed so as to serve as a stop that arrests the upward movement of said second vertically-movable annular backing member, prior to completion of the upward stroke of the piston.

JOHN W. ALLEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,194,581 Weichsel Mar. 26, 1940 2,280,768 Graver Apr. 21, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 4,790 Great Britain of 1823 573,423 Germany Mar. 31, 1933 

